“You know I’m on the next flight to Athens if you need me. In the meantime, what can I send you from here to make you feel better?”
That was Amalia on the other end of the phone, in her very special, concerning and maternal way. And if you know Amalia, you know she was serious.
Amalia, like so many of my friends who were far away from me during my latest medical challenge were quick to act, send messages of support, offer practical and logistic support, and most importantly, send me their positive energy and vibes.
Always trying to poke fun and make light of a bad situation, I responded: “Thanks agapi mou. I appreciate it. I don’t need anything right now. Unless you find a nice, hot Cretan man to send me and make me get better faster.”
“You need a Cretan man like you need a hole in your head right now. Trust me, I know from experience. But I’ll send you the next best thing from here to make you feel better…” she responded.
The next day, via ACS courier, a big bag arrived that smelled like a Cretan mountainside.Inside was a jar of unfiltered Cretan honey, straight from the hives, as well as ziplock bags filled with faskomilo (sage), diktamos and malotira— three plants that are endemic to Crete (not found to grow anywhere else in the world) and incidentally— items that indeed, will make me feel better, faster.
Our grandmothers knew something when they would make us tea when we had stomach aches or other gut ailments. Modern science has proven it with test after test that show how beneficial these three plants are for the health and healing of our gut.
I also confirmed with my surgeon that this isn’t just grandmother folklore, it’s science. The nutrients and antioxidants and other elements found in these plants make our gut heal faster— much faster than any man (or woman) can help us heal.